Disclaimer: All characters belong to Cassandra Clare

Chapter 4

"You're distracted." Luke chastised as my knife missed the target, again.

"Sorry" I mumbled as I aimed again. I tried to ignore the sounds of the royal elite as they spared and trained, and focus on human shaped target in front of me. The knife clattered on to the ground.

"I think you need a break." Luke sighed from beside me, as he pulled me out of the gym.

The gym was situated in a large barn in a remote forest. There were no roads that led to the faculty, just a series of tunnels that had access points all over the country. It was reserved for training the castle's most trusted individuals. We ranged from spies and guards to officers and commanders of the army.

"Clary," Luke asked, "what's on your mind?"

I sighed, "I just can't understand why the king allowed the princess to only have one guard, and a guard who wasn't trained to be one."

Luke gave me a sharp glance. "It's not smart to mention such doubt in a place filled with his most devoted followers."

"Well I've never been that into safety." I remarked as I walked into the dense woods.

"You should." Luke mumbled as he trailed behind me.

"Besides," I continued, "I trust you."

His eyes narrowed suspiciously, "The decisions of the King are not ours to question or understand."

I sighed, I've known Luke since he approached me when I was sixteen, and he has this unwavering faith in the monarchy.

"I will always protect them, Luke." I promised.

"You've already proven yourself of that, Clarissa." Luke smiled, "It is because of all you've accomplished that the King entrusts his daughter to you."

I nodded, trying to except his reasoning.

"When you're ready, return to the gym. I need you to have fifty perfect throws before the day is over." Luke ordered as he returned to the compound.

I watched him leave, and forcing my doubts to the back of my mind, I followed him.

Luke had moved to criticize someone else as I picked my knives back up, and began to throw. This time every single one hit the target.

After the fifty knives had been thrown, I headed to the locker room. There I changed out of my workout clothes, and into the sea foam colored dress. After strapping on my heels, I walked to the tunnel entrance.

The tunnels have been under the country of Idris since before the country's founding. They are an intricate web of man-made hallways and ancient caves. Every year they are expanded to encompass more land, or to create an easier, safer route to many of the country's secret bases. A train system has been set up in the majority of the tunnels to transport agents to and from their jobs.

My heels click on the cement as I walk towards one of the trains. I scan my hand on the side of the car to open the door, and climb inside.

It is about an hour route between the training facility and my home in Alicante, and it is during this time that I let my doubts resurface. Yes, no events occurred during the Ball that endangered the princess's life, but it still appeared suspicious to my spy brain.

My mind attempted to answer my own questions as I stepped off the car, and walked towards the entrance that would bring me to the retail store I supposedly worked at.

The streets of Alicante were filled with tourists who were visiting for the prince's birthday, so hailing a cab would be a struggle. Instead, I turned toward the direction of the Morgenstern manor that lay in the shadow of the castle.

My parents were waiting for me as I entered into the grand main hall.

"Where were you?" My father demanded as soon as he saw me.

"Work" I mumbled as I tried to bypass them to my room.

"Your father means at the ball. We asked, Simon and Maia both state that you abandoned them at the entrance, and no one appears to have seen you there." My mother clarified.

I sighed and moved towards the couch. "There are only four people who would have recognized me. I promise I spent the day at the ball, just as you asked."

"Clarissa, your record doesn't allow us to believe you, no matter how much we wish we could. There is a reason none of the royal guests could have recognized you." My mother continued to reason.

"Do you plan on living off us for your life?" My father demanded.

"No" I promised, so it was back to this argument.

"So what is your plan? You refuse to an arranged marriage and you refuse to go to college, so what are you going to do, work at that retail store for the rest of your life?"

I sighed again, this was an ongoing debate in both of my lives, the rich one and the spy one. Since I had graduated a year ago, Luke has been badgering me to choose a cover, but I didn't think I could balance one more life. I would have to give up this one, and I couldn't leave Simon and Maia. "I'm trying to figure some stuff out." I answered truthfully.

My parents glanced at each other and then at me. "We've given you so much time." My mom began.

"You have until the end of the week to give us some plan, or else there will be an arranged marriage." My father finished.

"Seriously," I screeched "an ultimatum!"

"Sorry sweetheart, but you left us with no choice." My mom tried to sooth.

"I won't have an unsuccessful Morgenstern." My father stated as he watched me storm out of the room.

I closed the door to my room and picked up my phone.

"What were those cover identities again?" I asked when Luke answered.

So I originally did chapter three in Isabelle's point of view, so I posted it as a one-shot if you want to read it. Warning: some of the characters are different.